Mechanic said I waited too long and it burned through 2 quarts

I have a 2021 4Runner, did the first 2 oil changes as included in ToyotaCare at 10K and 20K.
Went to an auto shop for my 3rd oil change at 30k, the manager told me that he actually recommends oil change every 5k miles on my car (full synthetic). I went back after 8K miles to do an oil change today at 38K miles, technically still early per Toyota recommendations, and I was told that my engine was short 2 quarts of oil??? He said I waited too long and it burned through 2 quarts. No oil leak. Has this ever happend to anyone? It doesn't make a lot of sense to me...

 

I agree. I do 5K/6month oil changes since that what Toyota service manual say for driving on dirt roads.

2 qt burn from 6.6qt from last fill? I don't believe that. I would doubt to go to that shop again.

 

Too many variables to speculate if you hadn't personally been checking the oil level.

Did the person who changed oil last time fill properly?
Is the technician who told you it was 2 quarts low being honest and how was that measured?
Is the engine burning oil?
Are you losing oil to the cooling system?

Monitor consumption during the next change interval.

 

Yup, and also pour into the containers you emptied to see your true oil evap.

I do all of my Toyota's at 5K

 

They probably short filled.

 

I would say this is the most likely explanation.

 

Did you check the oil level on dipstick? 2 quarts low I don't think would even show oil on dipstick. I try to check the oil every time filling up with gas.

 

Thank you for all the advice, will definitely start to monitor oil levels now more often.

Is there anything specific to look out for as far as seeing if the engine is burning oil or if losing oil to the cooling system?

Sorry could you explain what you mean?

 

It is 10k per Toyota manual.

and I highly doubt you burned 2qts of oil.

 

All engines burn at least a little oil as pistons are not 100% sealed. There is some blow-by but usually very little. To burn two quarts during a change interval on these motors might be evident from exhaust smoke but you could perform a compression check on all cylinders and inspect spark plugs for fouling. If you are losing oil to coolant, which would indicate a head gasket issue (extremely rare for your motor and mileage), your coolant would look like ass and would be way overfilled. I don't think that's even possible in this case.

I think it's more likely the previous oil change was short filled as Whipper stated. I wouldn't worry about it for now unless you have other symptoms and get in to the habit of checking your oil level regularly.

 

And this is why I do my own oil changes. I didn’t even use the free Toyota Care on my Pro. Learned my lesson on my 2016 limited, when they stripped skid plate bolts and cross threaded 2 wheel lugs.

 

I keep old oil bottles and after the change ill pour from the drain pail back into the bottles. usually I end up at a little less than six quarts which tells me I burned between 3/4 a quart to a quart and change.

 

I have 150K on mine and do a 8-9k interval, and it's still right in the middle of the range on the stick.

I find it extremely hard to believe that a 4.0 burned through 2 qts.

 

I’d be looking for oil on the driveway, suspecting a loose drain bolt.

 

Two mechanic buddies of mine separately said: (1st guy) - every 5,000 miles (2nd guy) - every 6,000 miles.

 

Usually like 1qt low wouldn't even show on the dipstick. The only way to really tell if you're burning oil is the compression test, but I would just start fresh if it were my rig. Change the oil and filter, tighten everything back up, drive around for a couple of weeks and check the dipstick. It should be just about where you left it. Check it again every couple of weeks on a flat surface. A leak will empty quickly. I had an oil filter that I forgot to completely tighten down once and I was down about a qt in a matter of days. oops

Could also look at the rear main seal or valve cover too to see if there's oil around there.

 

Dude one of my skid plate bolts was stripped too

 

For the service schedule I would highly recommend to download and follow the Toyota recommended service schedule. This is why I don't do 10K miles service. Toyota clearly state in my case I should do 5K or 6month oil changes along with few other items.
Toyota owners manual also state that you should use 0W20 and not anyother unless 0W20 not available for any reason.

 

WTF, same here. Bought the truck used, first oil change I did I found two stripped bolts. Had to chase the threads.

 

Shop says you're burning two quarts of oil per interval and only recommendation is more frequent oil changes? Sounds wildly fishy to me. You'd think he'd recommend diagnosing to see why you're burning that much oil. Because the 4.0L certainly does not go through oil like that.

 

Does anybody know how many quarts it takes to fill from the low mark to the full mark? I’ve never measured, but now I’m curious.

 

Upvote on previous underfill. I have definitely had underfill from a dealer. Checked the oil right after they got done with the change. Showed the service writer the dipstick and they took it back to fill it up. I am less Concerned with Oil change interval (have been doing 10k intervals and not burning Oil at all) than I am with competent tech doing the work. Would keep doing the changes myself but have some back problems now. I have it in my list to find a trustworthy non dealer mechanic.

 

What does the owners manual say is “normal” oil consumption?

 

I've been using a local drive through quick lube shop for oil changes on our vehicles for about 25 years with good results. I bring the oil and filters I want changed and for $30 I get engine oil changed, all other oil fluids checked and a sample of each shown, rad fluid pH checked, brake fluid water content checked, battery volts checked, all exterior lights checked and replaced if I bring the bulbs, tire pressures checked and topped up as needed, windshield wipers checked, underside of vehicle checked for any loose bits or leaks and washer fluid topped up with -40C cleaner, all done in about 20 minutes.
Good practise to check engine oil level once in a while.

 

I'm with all those who say it was a short fill. I had my first oil change done and I took the requisite 6.6 qts. of oil in. When I picked it up there was one quart still unopened. Got home, let it cool down, checked the dipstick and it was slightly low. Put the other quart in. Next time I'm telling them to use the full 6.6 as required.

 

I’ve had two family members (granted quite a few years ago) had quick lube places not torque drain plug on properly, and have their oil completely leak out. I’m very weary of these places that employee teens where quick customer turnover is paramount. Most of these places don’t use torque wrenches at all. If you don’t want to do it I would recommend connecting with a small shop mechanic that you can build a relationship with.

My dealership experience has been for the most part poor. My brother and his wife have been ripped off by their VW dealership. An Acura dealership that my wife and I used to go to tried several unnecessary recommended services. Luckily I have worked for 2 dealerships several years ago, and my best friend up till a decade ago was a sales manager for 20 yrs, so I know what questions to ask to confirm if something is needed. My local Toyota dealership was very good up until start of 2022. My last service they said I needed a new oil pan on my Venza, noting whatever oil/lube place I took it to cross threaded the drain plug. I said “check your records, I’ve been coming to you for the last 4 years”. They said promptly, “let me call you back.” Then called me back and said “the threads deteriorated over time.” Because I planned this car to trade in for my 4Runner, I ended up pausing the arguing on the phone and said “You guys f-d up, I know it and you know. Fine, replace the oil pan, if you charge me the full $500 then you’re saying to me you don’t give a sh-t if I get service there again or buy a car off you guys. Now, just tell me when I can pick it up.” Got there, was charged the full amount, paid it, walked to the sales manager and said “your service department is costing you business, I’ll drop by once I have my new 4Runner to say hi.” And I did just that.

 

Car Care Nut says every 5K. As I understand his video he says the 10K is to ensure you get past the Toyota warranty without problems, after that Toyota does not care. But if you are looking for 200-300K best do every 5K and it is cheap insurance regardless.

 

Lol! I'm not going to tell people not to change it every 5K, but:

Do people really believe that Toyota would throw away their reputation to try to lower maintenance costs?

We're talking about the opinion of a mechanic VS actual engineers and a car manufacturer whose biggest selling point is reliability and longevity.

I say read the manual and choose your interval based on your use. Of course, this means that a lot of us should actually be doing 5K changes. But, for the drivers who are doing mostly highway driving, no towing, off-road, etc, 10K is fine.

 

https://www.carscoops.com/2022/08/t...change-intervals-with-busted-engine-teardown/

 

So, we are all going to base our oil change intervals on how one person's Camry engine wore out?

Also, if I was uncomfortable with 10,000 mile oil changes, I would change my vehicles oil more often. I'm not sure why the owner of that Camry wasn't doing that.

This story also doesn't say anything about how the Camry was driven. Is it possible that it was driven in a manner that would have necessitated 5000 mile intervals based on the manual?

And, as I said in my post above, most of us should change our oil every 5000 miles based on the manual. But, those who do not drive loaded heavy, tow, off-road etc are fine with 10,000 mile intervals.

Do whatever makes you feel comfortable. But, personally, I will make my maintenance decisions based on the manual and my usage of my vehicle rather than the opinion of some YouTube personality.